Respirator filter mounting means



m 1964 F. J. GURTOWSKI 3,137,296

RESPIRATOR FILTER MOUNTING MEANS Filed May 29, 1961 $6 INVENTOR.

FRA Nc/sJ. GURTOWSKI his ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,137,296RESPIRATOR FILTER MOUNTING MEANS Francis J. Gurtowski, Reading, .Pa.,assignor to The Electric Storage Battery Company, Philadelphia, Pa.Filed May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 131,698

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-146) This invention relates to a respirator of thetype which surrounds the nose, cheeks and chin of the wearer to protecthim from inhaling dusts, and, more particularly, relates to means formounting a filter within the respirator mask in a readily detachablemanner.

In the past, respirators of the type having a detachable filter backingframe have been molded with complicated integrally molded projectionsfor supporting the frame, which have involved difliculty in molding, aswell as increasing the cost of production.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel means for detachablymounting a filter and filter-backing frame on an open face piece of arespirator in a readily attachable and detachable manner so as to avoidthe above named disadvantages, that is, devoid of integral projectionsor other complicated constructional features for supporting thefilter-backing frame.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study ofthe following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front, elevational view of the respirator embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIIH of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filter-backing frame takenthrough strip 10 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the head strap anchoringportion 6, shown in FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the respirator of FIGS. l-5 in mountedposition on the face of the wearer.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, numeral 1 denotes arespirator face piece of rubber, plastic or other flexible materialhaving a substantially triangular mouth portion for surrounding andclosely contacting, in a dust fight manner, the nose, cheeks and chin ofthe wearer. Numeral 2 denotes an integral, inturned, front marginalportion of the face piece 1 for supporting a a substantially triangularfilter 9 of felt, paper or any other suitable filtering material.Integrally molded with marginal portion 2 are strips 4 and asubstantially cruci form element 3 which, together with the marginalportion 2, provide an open framework or grille against which issupported the filter 9.

A filter backing frame is provided for detachable mounting within theface piece as a backing for the filter 9. Such frame comprises avertical strip 10 having integral, laterally extending strips 11, all ofwhich strips integrally join a substantially triangular perimetricalstrip 8. The backing frame is preferably made of flexble plasticmaterial and is provided with radially outwardly extending lugs or tabs12, which are preferably offset relative to the plane of the frame, asshown in FIG. 4, so as to provide a tight marginal seal between thehacking frame marginal portion 8 and the perimeter of the filter 9. Foursuch tabs 12 are shown, however, this number may be increased ordecreased, as desired.

At the sides of the face piecel are integrally formed headband strapanchors 6, preferably of the same material as the face piece 1, whichare provided with grooves 6b extending therethrough from front to rearof the projection 6, and grooves 6a extending laterally and at rightangles to grooves 6b. Thus the headband strap 6c may be inserted throughthe rear of groove 6b, then outwardly through groove 6a and reverselybent so as to extend rearwardly of the mask. There would be sufiicientfriction between the headband and anchors 6 to retain the mark inposition 'on the wearers face. headband strap will pull the marginal ormouth portion of the face piece inwardly to form a tighter seal with theface of the wearer since'the pull on the headband is outwardly ofanchors 6.

In operation, when it is desired to remove the filter backing frame andfilter 9, it is necessary merely to pull outwardly and stretch therespective integral projections 7 of the mask so as to withdraw tabs 12from the correspondingly shaped grooves formed therein, therebyreleasing the filter backing frame. The filter 9 may then be easilyremoved from the interior of the mask and replaced with a new filterwhich is pushed against the marginal strip 2 and strips 4 and cruciform3 forming a grille as an integrally molded part of the respirator facepiece. Then the filter backing frame is inserted by stretchingprojections 7 until tabs 12 may be slipped into the grooves formedtherein and held thereby.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an efficient respiratorfilter, and, particularly, an eflicientmounting for detachablysupporting the filter in a dust-tight man ner against a front grilleportion of the respirator; furthermore, I have provided an easily andquickly attachable and detachable filter-backing frame involvingrelatively simple and inexpensive parts which are cheaply manufactured,yet which are highly effective to provide a dust-tight seal between theperimeter of the filter and the opening within the face piece;furthermore, I have provided a respirator with an integral headbandanchoring element for enabling the headband strap to be easily insertedin a manner so as to hold the marginal portion of the respirator inclose engagement with the face of the wearer.

While I have illustrated and described a single specific embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustrationonly, and that various changes and modifications may be made within thecontemplation of my invention and within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A respirator comprising a substantially triangular face piece offlexible material having an opening in the front thereof bounded by aninturned marginal flange integrally molded on said face piece andsurrounding said opening, a grille portion integral with and extendingfrom said flange, a filter supported against said flange and grilleportion, a filter backing frame comprising a substantially triangularstrip having a plurality of radially outwardly extending tabs, includingtabs at substantially the corners of said strip offset forwardly of theplane of said strip, and cross strips integrally joined to saidsubstantially triangular strip, said substantially triangular face pieceincluding a plurality of integrally molded, radially outwardly extendingprojections at substantially the corners of said substantiallytriangular face piece corresponding to the positions of said tabs, eachprojection including a groove substantially in the plane of said filterfor snugly receiving one of said tabs so as to hold the peripheralportion of said frame tightly against the peripheral portion of saidfilter while the latter is held tightly against said flange portion toform a dust-tight seal, whereby said respective tabs and projections maybe easily pulled apart to enable quick removal of said frame, a headbandstrap and headband anchoring means at the sides of the face piececonnected to the ends of said headband strap in a manner so that tensionof the headband will flex and push said sides of the face piece tightlyagainst the checks of the wearer.

Thus the V 2. A respirator, as recited in claim 1 wherein said headbandstrap anchoring means are in the form of projections integrally moldedat the sides of the face piece, each projection having an openingextending from front to rear throughout the entire length of theprojection and an opening extending sidewise through said projection andat right angles to said opening and in communication therewith, saidheadband strap having end portions extending through a portion of saidfirst mentioned openings from rear to front and thence out- 10 wardlythrough said sidewise extending openings and thence extending rearwardlyalong the outer surfaces of said projections and about the rear neckportion of the wearer so as to tightly hold the sides of said respiratortightly against the face of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,079,227 Fanning Nov. 18, 1913 3,014,479 Matheson, Dec. 26, 19613,029,812 Matheson Apr. 17, 1962

1. A RESPIRATOR COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR FACE PIECE OFFLEXIBLE MATERIAL HAVING AN OPENING IN THE FRONT THEREOF BOUNDED BY ANINTURNED MARGINAL FLANGE INTEGRALLY MOLDED ON SAID FACE PIECE ANDSURROUNDING SAID OPENING, A GRILLE PORTION INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDINGFROM SAID FLANGE, A FILTER SUPPORTED AGAINST SAID FLANGE AND GRILLETRIANGULAR STRIP HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDINGTABS, INCLUDING TABS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE CORNERS OF SAID STRIP OFFSETFORWARDLY OF THE PLANE OF SAID STRIP, AND CROSS STRIPS INTEGRALLY JOINEDTO SAID SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR STRIP, SAID SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULARFACE PIECE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF INTEGRALLY MOLDED, RADIALLYOUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE CORNERS OF SAIDSUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR FACE PIECE CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITIONS OFSAID TABS, EACH PROJECTIN INCLUDING A GROOVE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANEOF SAID FILTER FOR SNUGLY RECEIVING ONE OF SAID TABS SO AS TO HOLD THEPERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID FRAME TIGHTLY AGAINST THE PERIPHERAL PORTIONOF SAID FILTER WHILE THE LATTER IS HELD TIGHTLY AGAINST SAID FLANGEPORTION TO FORM A DUST-TIGHT SEAL, WHEREBY SAID RESPECTIVE TABS ANDPROJECTIONS MAY BE EASILY PULLED APART TO ENABLE QUICK REMOVAL OF SAIDFRAME, A HEADBAND STRAP AND HEADBAND ANCHORING MEANS AT THE SIDES OF THEFACE PIECE CONNECTED TO THE ENDS OF SAID HEADBAND STRAP IN A MANNER SOTHAT TENSION OF THE HEADBAND WILL FLEX AND PUSH SAID SIDE OF THE FACEPIECE TIGHTLY AGAINST THE CHEEKS OF THE WEARER.